The Warmth of Ice
by Houkakyou
Summary: Kagome's mother has found a boyfriend. At first, Kagome was as happy as she could be when she heard the news. But when greeted with the identity of the one man she least expected to see, she turns tail and runs. What's a girl to do?
1. Chapter One

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or anything associated with it. Including touchy-feely demon lords.

**The Warmth of Ice****  
Chapter One**

**-  
**

_Thunk._ She set her backpack on the rim of the well and pushed it over on to the ground, pulling herself up out of the dark interior. "Ugh!" she sighed, wiping her hand on her forehead to remove the built-up sweat. It was hard work climbing out of the 500-year-old well, even after having done it repeatedly for the past three years. She turned and studied the dusty stairs leading up and out of the small well house in a minute of contemplative silence. _It's been a busy week in the feudal era,_ she mused,_ but all I'd like to do now is say hi to Mom, Gramps, and Souta and take a nice, long shower. With _lots_ of soap. _She inwardly cringed. The feudal era wasn't exactly famous for its impeccable cleanliness. Half the villagers she met seemed like they were afraid to take baths. _Yup, gotta love the soap. _Lifting her legs over the rim of the well and standing up, she began trudging up the old steps, creak by creak, pushing the sliding wooden door open at the top. Lifting her head towards the night sky, she let the cool spring air wash over her and invade the stuffiness of the well house. "Aaah…" she whispered. "This feels great!" Energy renewed, she hefted the yellow monstrosity that was her bag onto one shoulder and ran all the way to the front door of her home, giddy with joy that she'd be seeing her family at last after a month of continuous trekking. They were probably pretty worried about her.

She slid the door open and stepped into the warm foyer, preparing to greet her family. Sliding her shoes off and dumping her yellow pack ungraciously on the floor next to the door, she called out, "Mom! Grandpa! Souta! I'm home! Where are you?"

Hearing voices in the direction of the living room, she pinpointed their whereabouts and ventured forward with a quick smile before a voice halted her. "Kagome? Is that you? Could you come in here for a minute, dear?" her mother's voice hailed from the kitchen door.

"Mom! Hey! I missed you!" the girl laughed, running across the carpet into the kitchen to embrace her mother.

Hiroko sighed, hugging her daughter, and wondered how to break the news. It was sure to impact Kagome's life in some way, she knew, but she hoped her eldest child would take it well. "I missed you too, honey. But before you go and greet the others, I need to talk to you about something."

Kagome pulled out of the hug and eyed her mother suspiciously. What was this? "Mom, don't tell me you accepted Hojo's proposal to marry me on my behalf or anything… Because you know I would _never _forgive you if you did that," she chuckled. "So what's up?"

Her mom sighed wistfully and stared in the direction of the family room. "Well, Kagome, you know how you and Souta encouraged me to get on with my life after your dad died? How you told me to relax and that it was okay to look for a new man?"

Kagome looked up, knowing where this must be going. It was a good thing, though, if her mom had found a new guy. She'd been devastated over her husband's death for years and Kagome and Souta were unhappy seeing her miserable stare on what had been their parents' anniversary every year. "So?" she prompted. Her mom certainly looked happy now.

"You're not going to believe it, Kagome, but I've found the perfect man! I won't say that he's better than your father, because I'll always love him inside, but Hideki is the most wonderful man I've had the fortune to meet for years." Her mother sighed, a glazed look to her eyes that made her seem like a lovesick high school girl.

Kagome smiled. If this guy made her mom happy he could be the devil himself and she'd still accept him. "How long have you known him, mom? You seem pretty into him."

Hiroko snapped back to reality and answered her daughter's question seriously. "I first met him almost two years ago at a conference in Hokkaido. The hospital I worked at back then was being sponsored for the year by his company – Dai Industries – and I met him there. We've kept in contact over the years and formally started going out six months ago. He's really amazing, Kagome, and we love each other. Do you want to hear the best part?"

Kagome was becoming happier at every passing moment but was getting tired of smiling. Dropping the grin and replacing it with a small smile, she told her mother that yes, she would love to hear the best part. The previous information had been so wonderful that the best part was surely going to be a full-fledged miracle! This Hideki guy was sounding awfully good to her. She couldn't wait to meet the person who had made her mom so happy!

"Kagome, he proposed yesterday. We're engaged!" her mom whispered jubilantly.

All thought processes in Kagome's mind stopped.

Her mom was getting re-married.

She had a new dad.

Her mom was sincerely _happy._

Woah, information overload. Let's take it slowly from here.

"Mom, I'm so happy for you! Does Souta like him? When can I meet him? When's the wedding? Do I get to be the maid of honor?" she gasped out in one breath.

Laughing, her mom answered all the questions. "Souta is obsessed with his new father figure! He says that 'Hideki's like Inuyasha, but a gazillion times better'! We haven't planned the wedding yet. Yes, you're the maid of honor – Hideki doesn't have any close relatives. And you can meet him right now! He's just over in the living room with Souta and your grandfather!"

Kagome perked up at the thought of getting to meet this awesome guy sooner than she thought possible. Her mom grabbed her hand and led her down the hall into the living room, where the TV was on and laughter was emanating in waves. _Was that Gramps' laughter? Wow, this Hideki must be one hell of a guy to capture all the Higurashi hearts at once!_

Turning the corner into the room, Hiroko announced over the sound of the TV, "Souta, dear, would you turn that thing off? We have introductions to make." Pushing Kagome in front of her, she marched her daughter over to the middle of the room and turned her toward the figure on the couch. He'd been positioned sideways so as to talk to the old man on the other side of the couch, and he turned and faced Kagome with a swish of his silver hair, his brown eyes welcoming her into their depths.

The girl took one look at the man whose features told of a demon lord centuries past and let the darkness overtake her mind.

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A/N: Please review! I don't know if this idea has ever been explored before or even if you guys like this type of relationship, but it just popped into my head one day (like all good stories do) and I couldn't resist the temptation. Next chapter should be up soon, but you know me and my updating schedule. (No, really. It should be up relatively quickly, although I've got some events I'm helping out with at school over the next few days that might delay the process.)


	2. Chapter Two

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or anything associated with it. Including incensed mikos.

**The Warmth of Ice**

**Chapter Two**

**-**

"Kagome? Kagome!" she heard mutedly. Somebody was calling her name. And from the rocking of her shoulders, she could tell that they were probably shaking her too.

"Ugh…" she moaned. "You can stop. I'm awake. What happened?" she asked, bringing her arm up to shield her eyes from the bright light she knew they'd be encountering as soon as they opened. Seeing the form of her mother take shape over her, a worried look in her eyes, the last few minutes all came flooding back to her.

Hiroko sighed in relief. "You fainted right after you saw Hideki. Is something wrong?"

Hideki. That was it. Except the man sitting before her wasn't 'Hideki'. His name was Sesshoumaru, and he was one of the cruelest demons she'd ever met…when he wanted to be. He didn't seem to have done anything bad yet, though, and he seemed to be shaping up since Tenseiga had been liberated of its meidou. _I guess it's possible that he's actually not going to kill anybody, for once,_ she reasoned. _I'll pull him aside in a minute. _"Nah, it's nothing, mom. I just thought he looked like one of my old friends for a minute. I'm perfectly all right." She sat up, supporting herself on one arm, and turned to the man. "Hello, Hideki, I'm Kagome. Although I guess you've realized that by now," she chuckled nervously. "It's nice to meet you, though. I see Souta already idolizes you, and with this family, that's pretty much the deciding factor in a relationship!" _Yeah, of course he idolizes you,_ she thought grimly. _You're about ten thousand times more powerful than Inuyasha and you have the confidence to go with it – something that your brother never had._

'Hideki' gave her a small bow and smiled back. "It's a pleasure to meet you as well, Kagome-san. I hope you'll accept me in your family. I'll try to be a good father to you both, though I know I probably won't be able to replace your real one."

Kagome was speechless. This was Sesshoumaru? Maybe she was mistaken. But no, she definitely knew it was Sesshoumaru sitting before her. His aura was brightly projecting 'youkai', even if only her advanced miko senses could sense it.

"Hey, mom, I'm pretty hungry and I bet you all are too – could you start dinner while we get to know each other better?" Kagome asked. She knew it was a weak excuse, but Souta and Jii-san were likely to follow the woman of the house if it came to getting samples of Hiroko's wonderful cooking and she just _had_ to speak to Sesshoumaru.

"Why, what a good idea, Kagome! With the introductions and all, I had completely forgotten dinner!" her mother exclaimed, jumping up and walking in the direction of the kitchen. "I think it'll be oden tonight, in honor of Kagome coming back…"

With a shared look pointing towards devious intentions, Souta and her grandfather got up and followed after her mother like hungry puppies whining for a bite.

Kagome watched then leave and then shut the living room door when they were safely out of range. Whipping around to face the demon lord, she hissed, "What on earth are you doing here, Sesshoumaru? Why are you deceiving my family like this?"

His eyes widened as he recalled the miko from his past that traveled with his half-brother. He had honestly had no idea that this was her family. He had known of her use of the enchanted well, of course; a couple of well-placed questions toward Myouga and it had become quite obvious, if not extremely confusing. And he had never expected to meet the girl again…especially not as her mother's fiancé.

"Kagome, please calm down. I did not come here with evil intentions. If anything, I came here with the intent to gain another good relationship." He replied softly, attempting to persuade her to his side.

"Not in a million years would I ever believe that garbage!" she spat back. "You're the Lord Sesshoumaru; the most efficient killer and cold-blooded ruler in all of Japan - and probably the world, too. There's no way I'm letting you near my mother again without an explanation!"

"Kagome, you seem to be confusing me with a version of myself the world has not seen for nearly five hundred years." He replied, his words coming out coldly. "Please believe me when I say that I love your mother and if I were the being of my past, I would have killed you at your first impertinent utterance towards me. You must remove your untoward suspicions about me and I ask you to accept me as I am now; the fiancé of your mother and the owner of a successful business enterprise."

Kagome was surprised. Surprised that he had defended himself from the accusations of a simple miko like herself. Surprised that he did really seem to be different than the version of him she knew through the well. Surprised that he was a businessman. And above all, surprised that he'd admitted to being in love with her mother. Actually, she was just surprised that he'd admitted to being in love _at all. _This was a little much for her.

Her thoughts were cut off when he began speaking again. "This is probably a little much for you, but you have to understand that while you may have just met my old self this afternoon in the feudal era and now you're presented with my more …understanding…self, I've had five hundred years to adjust myself to the change. I'd like you to realize that I am not the Sesshoumaru you used to know any longer. I am simply Hideki Toori now…although you probably shouldn't bring that mentality to the past with you. While I promise that I will in no way attempt to hurt you now, I cannot claim as much for my old self. "

She sighed. _Well, so far he's come off as a perfectly repectable guy – in fact, comparing us, _I_ was the one acting with a bias. Guess I should rectify my not-thought-out mistake before it comes back to bite me on the butt._ "I'm sorry, and thank you…Hideki." she apologized. "I guess I'll come to get used to you living with us. But you better not mistreat Mom in any way, you hear me?" she wagged her forefinger at the man. "I'd never forgive you! I'd purify you and your soft-spoken butt to hell!"

He frowned and tilted his head to the side as if questioning her. "Didn't I just say I'd never hurt you? By extension, that includes your entire family. In fact, dear, I believe I shall be quite happy _protecting_ my new-found family. Shall we adjourn to the kitchen? I believe that's oden I smell. And your mother is such a _wonderful_ cook too…" he replied smoothly, changing the subject on her.

Kagome spluttered. _'Dear'? Since when does he get to call me that like he's my father? Although he kind of is now… I suppose I'll have to get used to this. It's kind of nice, actually. Finding out he's not such a cold person at heart, I mean._

She pulled him up from the couch and hooked arms with him, giggling when his face took on a look of surprise. "I think I'll agree to that offer of dinner," she smiled. "It just smells too good to resist. And I think that we just might get along this time."

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A/N: Please review! I tried to finish this in my limited free time today, but I'm not quite sure that I'm satisfied with how it turned out – so don't be surprised if you read it again in a couple of days and something's there that wasn't there before.


	3. Chapter Three

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or anything associated with it. Including possessive hanyous.

**The Warmth of Ice**

**Chapter Three**

**-**

Kagome walked into the dining room, smiling. "Hey Hideki, Souta. I see you two have already started on dinner without me." She sat and folded her legs underneath her in the style that she'd been brought up using and reached for the yakisoba with her chopsticks. Sesshoumaru glanced up from his bowl and pushed her target a little closer to her plate to make sure she didn't spill any food.

Noticing this, Kagome frowned. "I'm not a child, Hideki. I'm eighteen. Surely I can serve myself with out making a mess."

"It's just reflex, Kagome. Your brother is so messy that I end up doing it for him with everything from food to his laundry basket. But aside from talking about things everybody knows and doesn't need to hear again, how was school? Is that calculus teacher of yours giving you trouble again?" he replied worriedly.

Kagome had been home for more than a month at this point – something Inuyasha would be quite mad at her about when she went back through the well – and she and Hideki had become very close. Close enough that she had asked him to help her out with her calc teacher; the woman had been getting on Kagome's case about not being in school very often. But the minute Sesshoumaru had heard about it, he called the woman up and informed her that his daughter had very good grades and if the teachers were going to ride her about being sick all the time then he might as well pull her out and simply homeschool her. After talking to the principal about the terrible attitudes and low tolerance levels of Kagome's teachers, of course. Naturally, the woman shut up right away, afraid of being reprimanded by the principal.

"Nah, she's just been ignoring me the past couple weeks. It's actually helpful, since she's not interrupting me from doing my homework in class anymore to answer one of the problems on the board. Everyone operates more efficiently like this." she grinned. "And how's work for you? Can I help with any more of your PR speeches again?"

Kagome had been helping Sesshoumaru with the wording in his speeches for meetings for the company – he was both the CEO and the PR representative. She liked that about him, how he took everything into his own hands.

He smiled. "Everything has been operating smoothly since our takeover of Murakashi Technologies two weeks ago – in part thanks to your help. I can never seem to get those speeches right." He grimaced. "Literature and writing was never my strong point. Thank god I'm marrying into a family that has a daughter going for a writing major. Although it helps that your mother and I love each other. I do suppose that is a bonus," he laughed. "With this setup, everybody's happy, and me twice over."

Kagome stared. "Are you a reincarnation or something?" She was used to him by now, but occasionally he still caught her by surprise.

"Why do you ask that?" he replied, confused.

"Because you're so different from how you used to be. It's almost scary, you know?" she answered.

He bit out a laugh and his gaze softened. "Kindness and the warmth of a family is something that I was taught by my daughter many years ago."

Souta started. "You have a daughter?" he asked, clearly interested.

"Not anymore, Souta." Sesshoumaru replied sadly. "She died a long time ago, but I will always carry her memory in my heart. That's how I know how you all feel about me versus your real father. I can never replace him, but you like me as a new dad anyway. With her, I will always remember her as my daughter but you and Kagome are also taking places equal to hers to me. I'll always love you all. Until you burn down the house, at least." he laughed, looking at the boy next to him.

"Hey! Hideki! You know that it was an accident! And I only burned the stove!" Souta protested.

Their banter faded into the background as Kagome thought over what Sesshoumaru had said. _He's talking about Rin,_ she realized. _He must miss her. I don't see them much in the feudal era, but when I do I can tell that she really loves him and that he is fiercely protective of her. And from what he just said, I can assume their relationship only became deeper as the years wore on, especially from the fact that he called her his daughter. In the time through the well, he strictly refers to her as his ward. Obviously something changed. And it was probably that change that pushed him little by little towards the person he is now, the person that Souta, Mom, Gramps and I know and love. Wait, love? What's happening to me? A month ago he was an enemy! Agh. I don't want to think about this right now. I've gotta pack my bag to go back to Inuyasha and everyone else. They'll be wondering where I am. I'm actually kind of surprised that Inuyasha hasn't come through to pick me up yet. Either they're still out on a mission or he's actually respecting my wishes for once._

_It's probably a mission._

She laid her chopsticks on the bowl in front of her and stood up. "Thanks for the food, Hideki. Never knew you were a good cook, but I suppose you must be after living so long by yourself." _Can't slip up, _she reminded herself. _Gotta keep up the cover for Souta. I can't let him know who Hideki really is._ "I need to go and pack for another trip through the well. And Souta, It's your turn to do the dishes tonight. Don't leave them out to grown mold again." The last time he had done that it was over the weekend when both Kagome and the other adults were out of the house. Souta hadn't washed the dishes for three days, letting them fester. When their mom had come back, she'd been furious to find that mold had taken up camp on her nice dinner plates. Souta had probably had bad nightmares of that scolding for a long time, she grinned. Mom could be pretty scary if need be.

Sliding open the door to the well house, she paused. Was somebody there?

"Kagome."

Oh, just Sesshoumaru. What was he doing here? "Yeah Sesshoumaru? Is something the matter?"

"You are leaving for Inuyasha's time?" he asked her.

"Yup. He's gotta be pretty fed up by me staying away this long. I usually stay here for a week at the most between trips." she explained.

"You are still searching for the Shikon shards, then?" he wondered.

"Why wouldn't we be? You speak like you've already found them or somethin- oh." she giggled. "Oops. I guess you've already experienced us finding them, right? It's not like it would take us five hundred years to put it together. Gah. I've got to remember that you've lived through what I'm about to see already," she said, shaking her head before straightening up. "But no matter, I've gotta go anyway. You coming in or staying out there?" she beckoned inside the dark structure before turning back to it and disappearing down the steps.

He stood still for a moment before following her inside. "This is the fateful well that allows you to travel to the sengoku jidai, then. Interesting. I should like to see you go through it."

"What else would I be doing, dummy? Painting it?" she laughed. "I'm going to jump in. See you in a week or so. Have fun with those speeches!"

He rolled his eyes at her teasing, watching her lift her legs over the rim into the well and sit on the side. "See you later, _dad_!" she grinned before pushing herself into the blackness. He watched as a blue light flared up, the light of ancient magic deep within, before it faded out into the darkness and everything was calm once again.

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A/N: Please review! Your comments and critiques are what keeps me going!

By the way, this fic will probably end up being about 5 chapters in length, in the interest of preserving my sanity and actually finishing a story for once. So there are maybe two chapters left? Although you never know, it could be three or more. I've got the entire plotline planned out, but depending on how many details I flesh it out with, a chapter or two could get added on. This chapter was actually supposed to have another chunk of plot in it, but I discovered it was long enough already. And you know, the shorter I make them, the more you get! :) I'm also helping a friend edit a story they'd like to make into a book (Yes! An actual book! He says that if it sells and he becomes rich, he'll give me a hundred dollars. Fancy that. I won't be broke anymore, living off pocket lint and manga to survive), so I'm getting inspiration from some of his stuff. Not ideas, though. Just inspiration, lol.


	4. Chapter Four

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or anything associated with it. Including argumentative hanyous.

**The Warmth of Ice**

**Chapter Four**

**-**

Shifting her backpack to a more comfortable position on her shoulder, she sighed and looked up to the moonlit opening far above her. _Of all the things I do here, one of the most annoying is climbing up this stupid well day after day. I should really get a ladder to this side. I put one up in the modern era, but climbing up slippery vines on this side got old a long time ago. _Grabbing the closest vine to her and giving it a yank to make sure that it wouldn't break with her halfway up, she began climbing up to the top of the well. Once she was up high enough so that she could see over the rim, she reached out and hooked her hand over the wood and pulled herself and her pack over the top onto wet grass.

"Kagome? Kagome! Is that you?" somebody yelled from inside the forest. Kagome sat up and scanned the forest for the voice. Was that Sango calling her name? She heard the bushes rustle to her left and out from the shrubbery burst a panting Sango. Kagome stood up and walked over to her friend.

"Are you alright, Sango? You're breathing pretty hard there." she commented.

"Uh, yeah. I was just running to find you after I saw the well flare up. I've been gathering Kaede's medicinal plants for her and dinner for the rest of us." She held up a basket stuffed full of leaves and roots that Kagome hadn't noticed before. "But where on earth have you been the past month? You said you'd only be a week this time; we've been worried sick! And since you put that enchantment on the well with Kikyou's help, Inuyasha hasn't been able to cross over to check up on you." Sango complained.

"Sorry, Sango. I didn't realize you all missed me so much," she laughed. "But you know the only reason I sealed the well against Inuyasha is that I've gotten sick and tired of having him try to bring me back here when I'm in the middle of school. And you wouldn't believe how much trouble he's caused me at one point or another when he jumps around buildings! And when he doesn't wear the baseball cap to cover his ears! And when he breaks things! Like Jii-san's precious pots! And my _bicycle!_ Seriously! Who wouldn't get tired? It's like having a dog who follows you everywhere, never stops barking, and dropped out of obedience school! Ugh! And _Kikyou_ only helped me do it because she decided that the less time Inuyasha spent in the modern era, the more time he could spend with her! Gah! I've had enough with those two!" she fumed.

"Uh…Kagome?" her friend asked confusedly. "What's a baseball cap?"

Kagome turned and glared at her. "It. Is. A. Hat." Ragging on about Inuyasha had gotten her all worked up, and now she was taking it out on Sango over an innocent question. She sighed. "Sorry, Sango. I'm a little mad at him right now. But I am happy you came out to meet me. Thanks. Now shall we take that basket of yummy…roots…and go back to the hut to have dinner?" she said, slightly more cheerily this time.

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When Kagome had woken up just after sunrise to Inuyasha's normal yelling about how they needed to leave immediately to follow the trail of the shards, the sun had been shining with all its might, as if attempting to force them into hot, sweaty submission just an hour after setting out on their mission. But by noon, the weather had degraded into horrible conditions, even for the hanyou leader of their little group. The rain was coming down like bullets, impairing their vision with water and mist and the road they had been traveling on was now hopelessly muddy. Miroku had already lost one of his shoes and Shippou and Kirara had taken to riding on their friends' shoulders. Inuyasha was in such a bad mood from having been slowed down on the hunt that he was stomping away about ten feet ahead of them – and fortunately, the sound of the rain was so loud that they couldn't hear the cursing they knew was emanating from his lips. He'd already split from the group twice to attempt to find suitable shelter from the storms, but both times it had been a useless side-trip that just made him more soaked and unhappy. Kagome had already remarked that he resembled a rabid wet dog, and Sango, Miroku, and Shippou had readily agreed. Even Kirara had given a waterlogged nod of assent.

Kagome paused and tried to listen through the rain pounding down around her. "Hey, Miroku, do you sense that?" she asked.

The monk paused and extended his senses, but he couldn't sense anything through the storm. "Why? Did you feel a demon nearby? Or a shard?"

In front of them, Inuyasha's ears perked up. "Kagome sensed a shard? Where? Tell me!" God, he could be so infuriating sometimes. Did he think of nothing but the Shikon? Sometimes she wondered why she loved him the way she did.

"No, I don't think it was a shard. Something else. But I can't sense it anymore, so it's probably gone now. Storm just messed my senses up with all this rai-" she was cut off as something snaked around her ankle. "Shippou, if that's your tail, please tell me now." she told the young fox, frozen in worry.

Shippou replied, "But Kagome, I'm right here. On Miroku's shoulder. I'm nowhere near you."

Kagome's eyes widened and she bent down quickly and slapped her ankle in panic, encountering something slimy. "Eeew! Yuck! What is this?!?"

Inuyasha was at her side in a flash like the devoted dog she wished he was all the time. He narrowed his eyes at her ankle, trying to make out what was wrapped around it in the mist. "Don't worry, Kagome. It's probably just a plant or something."

Kagome didn't move. "I don't think so, Inuyasha." she said, her voice quavering. She looked up at him in fear, unable to remove whatever it was. He was reassuring her once again when he disappeared from her vision. Suddenly, everything turned gray. Gray like the rain-soaked sky. Sky? _Wait…Sky!_ "Kyaaaaaah!" the group heard her yell. She'd been harshly yanked from her position on the ground to dangle by a tentacle in the sky. All around them, the rain ceased to fall and the mist dissipated.

Inuyasha cursed. "A gods-be-damned demon! It must've been making the rain!"

The group stared up at Kagome in surprise, finally able to see a good distance now that the mist had been cleared away. She was being held up by the appendage of a huge nine-headed snake youkai. The girl stared at the creature holding her and made a feeble comment. "You know, I think people call your kind hydras. You know, the nine heads and all? Not like the Yamata-no-Orochi." she gave a weak laugh. _Oh, no. Did I just insult it or did I compliment it?_ Her confused thought processes were interrupted when she felt her stomach drop and was flung high into the air. All thought deserting her except that she knew she was going to die if she fell, she yelled the name of her protector.

"_HIDEKI!_"

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Back at the hut and freshly bathed after her ordeal, she was being submitted to a series of questions from an irate hanyou.

"Well? Who is this 'Hideki', Kagome? Somebody you've been cheating on me with, no doubt?" Inuyasha said nastily, greatly discomfited by the fact that it hadn't been _his_ name she'd yelled.

"Ah! No way! Stop getting so mad! It's just Sesshoumaru!" she replied hurriedly. But as soon as the statement had left her mouth, she knew she'd said the wrong thing to her half-demon friend. At the mention of his half-brother, both hated and envied by him, Inuyasha blew up.

"Sesshoumaru? You're seeing _Sesshoumaru?!? _Are you _kidding_ me?" he burst out yelling.

"No! I'm not seeing him! Stop overreacting! He's my dad!" she raged at Inuyasha. Instantly the room was so silent that you could hear a pin drop. All her friends were staring at her, each with a different look on their face, but all amounting to the same question: _What?_

"Your…dad. Kagome, are you feeling all right?" asked Inuyasha, now calmer but very worried for his friend.

Kagome covered her face with her hands and sighed. "Guys, let me just explain this to you properly with out anyone interrupting, okay? I'm not crazy…I think." The friends exchanged dubious glances between them.

She began again. "You all know my real dad's dead, right?" Simultaneous nods all around. "Okay. Well, my mom isn't the happiest person around." Immediately Inuyasha began to protest. "Hey," Kagome stopped him. "You promised not to interrupt." He nodded and beckoned her to continue impatiently. "She may look happy, but inside she's still torn up from the death of my dad. So we're always trying to cheer her up. But this time when I cam home a month ago, she greeted me with a smile I hadn't even thought was possible on her face. I asked what had happened, and she told me she had a boyfriend. A fiancé, in fact. She went on and on about him, making him out to be the best guy on earth." Kagome paused in her story, taking a breath. "It turned out this amazing fiancé of hers was actually the future Sesshoumaru." Glancing at the confused faces around her, she went on with her explanation. "Apparently he's lived all the way to my time – looks the same, too, but without his markings, claws and fangs – and he's a lot nicer, too. He's been living with us the past month, and he's really great. But you can't tell the Sesshoumaru in this time, okay? He'd probably kill you." she laughed tiredly.

Kaede, who'd been sitting in the corner sorting the leaves Sango had brought her the entire time, stood up and brushed the plant bits off her legs. "I believe they've heard enough, Kagome. You all look tired from both today and this unexpected news; how about you go to sleep now and think it over next morning? Who knows, maybe you'll have nightmares about a kind Sesshoumaru-sama."

"Don't you mean _dreams_?" Shippou asked, looking up at her.

"No," the old miko laughed. "Nightmares, for sure."

Kagome shook her head at their antics and spread out her sleeping bag. Laying down on it, she smiled at the memory of Sesshoumaru seeing her off into the well. _He's really changed, hasn't he… He's really my dad now._ Letting her body relax, she slipped happily into a deep sleep.

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A/N: Please review!

I'm spacing out my paragraphs and dialogue some more in response to a complaint on mediaminer that it was too hard to read *coughkokoronagomucough*, so hopefully it's easier now. And please feel happy; I gave you an extra…uh….six hundred words more than usual. So yes. Be happy. And review! :)


	5. Chapter Five

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or anything associated with it. Including HELL YEAH IT'S THE LAST CHAPTER overjoyed authors.

**The Warmth of Ice**

**Chapter Five**

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"Kagome, do you hate me?"

"No! What on earth are you talking about?"

"Kagome, are you scared of me?"

"No! Are you crazy? Sure, I was scared of you in the feudal era, but now…! You're _important_ to me now!"

"That's not true, my Kagome. You want me to die. You want me out of your life. You want me far away from your family."

"No! No! Sesshoumaru, what's gotten into you? I want you here! With us! We all want you here!"

The mist cleared away from where they were standing, revealing a busy street behind the man she was pleading with. Traffic was roaring back and forth, but the two seemed completely oblivious to any outside elements to their furious conversation.

The demon took a slow step backwards toward the busy road, shadows creeping up over the cars behind him. Kagome reached toward him, crying out, "No! Sesshoumaru! Please! Stay with me!" in anguish.

Smiling at her, Sesshoumaru took another step back, coming ever closer to the curb. And then another, and another, until he was balancing on the cusp of the curb, his back just inches from the shadowed cars.

Kagome gasped and threw herself forward in an effort to grab his arm and drag him back to her. "Please!" she pleaded. "Don't leave us!"

But it was useless, she realized. He wasn't going to come back now. So why did she bother? She'd really only known him for a month anyway. He would leave just as he came; suddenly but surely.

Kagome shook her head fiercely to dispel her disobedient thoughts. _No! That's not what I feel! He has to stay with us! We'll crumble if he leaves us. He's the main support of our family now. The column of strength that keeps us all standing and looking toward the future._ She focused back on the demon, his smile infuriating her. How could he do this to her and smile? "Come back, Sesshoumaru," she whispered, her voice wavering. "Come back to me, and Souta, and mom. We need you."

But as she uttered those words, he shook his head and stepped back, falling off the curb into the mass of dark cars. They blended into each other and became a shadow, dark as night, stretching on and on and overwhelming the buildings and stores and lights that made up Tokyo. Sesshoumaru's body was swallowed up by the shadows as he sunk deep into them, disappearing from sight. Terrified, Kagome screamed in true fright as the one person she never expected to leave was taken from her.

"_SESSHOUMARU!_"

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Kagome sat up in her sleeping bag, sweating and panting. She looked around wildly, in a panic that her dream was real. She was reassured to see Kaede and Sango crowding around her and Inuyasha and Miroku hurriedly crawling out of their flimsy blankets. "Oh," she sighed. "I was so afraid that that had come true!"

"Of what do you speak, Kagome? A dream?" Kaede asked worriedly.

"Yeah. Sesshoumaru and I were talking and then he suddenly said that he'd leave us! That we didn't want him! And then…then he sunk into the black stuff and I think he died!" she cried, frightened after reliving her minutes of terror. When no one comforted her, she looked up and dried the tears from her eyes. "What's wrong?" she asked, seeing Kaede and Miroku passing grim looks between them. "Did something happen while I was asleep?"

"Lady Kagome, It doesn't happen much, but…" Miroku took a breath.

"Priestesses have been known to foretell death. Maybe...?" he drifted off.

"Like…like a premonition?" Kagome asked nervously, tears threatening to flow again. "Oh no! Sesshoumaru!" Her panic returned in full force. Whipping around and pulling her backpack from its place in the corner, she slipped it on her shoulders and rushed over to put her shoes on.

"Kagome? Hey, is everything alright? It might not be a premonition! Stay here!" Inuyasha pleaded.

Kagome turned around and spit out venomously, "Inuyasha! Just because you hate him does not mean you know him! In fact, you don't know him at all! I have to see if he's alright! Now get out of my way!" Pushing him aside, she ran through the mat covering the door and headed straight for the well as fast as she could, branches whipping her hair into knots and brambles scratching her arms.

Reaching the well clearing, she paused and prayed. "Please! Please let him be alive! Let mom and Souta and Jii-san be happy! And don't let him leave!"

Jumping over the rim into the well, she let the blue aura of centuries-old magic surround her. Touching down to the earthy soil that was the bottom of the well, she turned around and grabbed the ladder leading up to the top. Hauling herself up, she swung her legs over the rim and climbed up the well-house stairs as fast as she could. Bursting out of the doors into the fresh morning air, she aimed for her house, legs straining from the unaccustomed speed. Throwing the door open, she dropped her yellow pack off next to her shoes and walked inside, nervous as to what she would find.

"Mom? Souta? Anyone there?" she yelled. She waited a second, and then perked up a little when she heard an answering call.

"I'm in the kitchen, dear!" her mom cried back.

Running through the hall into the kitchen, Kagome slid the shoji door back and asked hurriedly, "Where's Hideki?"

Her mom looked up at her through tears. "He's…gone, dear."

Kagome took a breath and backed out of the kitchen, closing the door. Whirling around, she retraced her steps back to the front door and ran outside, forsaking her shoes.

"_WHY?_" she yelled into the sky, tears running down her cheeks. Her mom's voice reached her from inside the house, too garbled to for the girl hear what she was saying. Not wanting to deal with a distraught mother when she herself was equally distraught, she headed for the entrance to the shrine. Passing through the red tori gate and beginning the trek down the long set of stairs, the fact that Sesshoumaru was truly dead hit her. Her steps speeding up as fat tears rolled down her cheeks, she wondered. She wondered why the gods would be so absolutely cruel as to have him live for almost a millennium just to meet the Higurashis and become part of her family. She wondered why the gods had done that, and then, in the blink of an eye, taken him away.

Stepping onto the sidewalk, she realized that people were looking at her strangely. Figures. She was still in her miko garb. But who really cared? Her father figure and best friend was dead, and here her subconscious wanted her to change into something more appropriate? Was this a sign of the onset of insanity and depression? Because that's where she was going, she knew. Two fathers lost, Naraku still out there, an abrasive hanyou that never really appreciated her, no future in the modern world as she probably couldn't get into college with her attendance record being what it was… Who would really want this kind of life? _Depression it is,_ she decided. _Depression. And he's really, truly gone. Gone. I'll never see him again._

She paused in her walking and took a look around. She was across the block from the grocery store that her mom liked so much. That was unexpected. This store was almost three miles from her house. She must've been walking for some time.

Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath. _Nevernevernevernever, _she chanted. _I'll never see him again. Souta will never be able to laugh with him. Mom will never be able to hug and kiss him. Jii-san will never be able to trade youkai stories with him. And I…I'll never be able to see Inuyasha again. Because I know that if I see him, I'll remember Sesshoumaru. And if I remember him, then I'll remember all the fun things we used to do…the fun times we had. And I'll remember that I can never have those times again._

She opened her eyes again and stared at the store across the street, the busy cars reminding her of her nightmare earlier. _Cars…Cars…People…People with shopping bags, walking around on the sidewalk…People waiting for the light to change…People, people, people. Human. All human. Where is my demon? Where is my Sesshoumaru? My Hideki? Oh, there he is. It's like normal. Him with shopping bags, walking toward the crowd of people waiting for the light to chang- _Oh. Wait. What?

Her eyes cleared and she stared across the street. Impossible. And yet there he was, in all his humanly glory. She stared at him, hoping fervently he wasn't just some hallucination her mind had brought up to soothe her under stress. No, he was real. He wasn't disappearing like mist. He wasn't falling into jet black nothingness like in her dream. He was real. And he was here_._ He was _here! _She disregarded all the people crowded around her and began walking toward him slowly, as if in a trance. Ignoring all the people yelling around her and the cars rushing around her, she made her way over to him, arms out as if to hug him, tears running down her face.

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Sesshoumaru shook his head ever so softly. Humans were so loud. Even now, when surrounded by complete strangers, they were yelling. What were they yelling? Probably something random, like 'Oh dear god, I haven't seen this edition of _Doraemon_ in years! Give it to me!' or the ever-popular 'This orange is bruised and was bruised when I bought it! I demand you give me another one for no extra charge!'

_That girl! What's she doing? Going out in the middle of the street like that! Causing trouble for everyone! Oh, wait – I know her! Her family are the caretakers of the Sunset Shrine! Oh, I know that one! Yeah, you're right – she's a Higurashi! Hmm, I wonder what she's doing there. Suicide?_

The various shouts and spurts of conversation came from the crowd around him, but the moment he heard Sunset Shrine and Higurashi, he turned toward the source of the commotion. And what he saw stunned him.

Dropping his bags and pushing through the crowd harshly, he ran toward the dazed Kagome. Did she not realize she was in the middle of one of the busiest and most crowded streets in all of Tokyo?! Giving up on his human form, he shifted into his less humanoid youkai form and used blurring speed to run across the street and grab the girl. Once she was in his clawed hands and they'd safely avoided a sixteen-wheeler, he turned on his heel and flew toward the Higurashi home.

Setting down outside the front door and returning to his human form, he put Kagome down and called for Hiroko. Hiroko came outside at his call and gasped when she saw Kagome. "Kagome, dear, what happened to you? Why are your eyes all red?" she asked worriedly, brushing Kagome's bangs aside.

"I found her walking across Narita Street towards the grocery store in the middle of traffic. She didn't even realize she was about to get hit, Hiroko. I had to run out and push her out of the way. Something's very wrong." Sesshoumaru informed his fiancé.

"What? Kagome!" Hiroko cried, panicked, turning back to her daughter. "Tell me! What's wrong? Can you answer? Kagome!"

Kagome looked up through happy tears. "I'm fine, mom. He's alive! He's alive!" she said, getting on her knees and hugging her mom fiercely.

"What are you talking about?" Sesshoumaru asked her.

Kagome released her mother and sat back with a relieved smile. "I had a nightmare where you died and Miroku and Kaede told me there was a chance that it could be a premonition. I was so scared that I came right home and asked mom where you were. She was in tears and told me that you were gone. I thought that meant you were dead and my dream was right. I was so scared!" she whispered. Getting up, she walked the two steps over to him and buried her face in his chest. "Never leave us, okay? I don't think I'd be able to bear it. I love you, dad." she sobbed.

Hiroko looked at them with a smile. "Well, I guess I have a little bit of explaining to do myself, dear." Holding up her hand and pointing to the bandaid on her palm, she explained that she'd been in tears because the knife she'd been using to cut the meat had slipped and she'd cut herself. "It's not too bad; don't worry. But I was so surprised that I just started crying." She laughed. "I'm fine now."

Sesshoumaru pushed the crying girl away from his chest and bent down a little to address her. "Kagome, I love you. I love you all. There's no way I'd ever leave you and your mom and Souta and your grandfather. I'll always protect you."

Kagome laughed bitterly, looking away. "God, Hideki. You used to be such an icicle, and now you're all over the idea of love and happiness and let's protect everyone. It's like you've melted into a puddle of water. And you have no idea how much that means to me." Finally giving him a true smile, she looked up at him.

"But I don't think you're water now. It's just the warmth of ice."

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A/N: Please Review!

And on the other hand… YES! THE END! OWARI! Mopey!Kagome! (God, I hated writing her. So dismal. Sesshou was so much more fun.) And puddle-of-goo-but-really-not-because-it's-just-the-warmth-of-ice-god-what-a-corny-but-sweet-line!Sesshoumaru! Cookies to all! * hands out cookies to lactose-tolerant people and everybody else gets tofu. I still want your reviews though. *

Did you guys like this fic? Very much an unusual twist to a normal sesskag, but inpired after I read a href=.net/s/1223840/1/Father_FigureFather Figure/a by Rozefire. (Don't read it if you're easily pissed off. I thought I was seriously immune to psychological warfare until I read this. It had me steaming for days. Very well-written, though. Seems like the author had gone through it herself…though I really hope she didn't.)

But aside from that, I really want to know what you thought of it. And be proud of me, since it's the first real multi-chapter fic I've finished in a looooong time. Speaking of which, I need to get to work on writing SCCYL and GUOT. JADatO's been delayed indefinitely because of a similar 'technical difficulty' that I encountered in a previous chapter of SCCYL – losing almost a full chapter. It really brings you down, which is why I'm asking those of you that _do_ follow the fic to please be patient. Losing chapters is not a fun experience, and since it's sessan4ever's first time, it'll be worse. But I'll nudge and prod her, and we'll get back on track soon. I hope.

Tch. Long author's note. I'll end it here with a reminder to review (because you can never be _too _pushy) and the hope that you guys have a great Memorial Day off (If you're American) and go on to read my other stories if you haven't already.

Oh yeah – and ItaSaku rocks your socks off…and back on again. Because lost socks are just _so_ annoying.

-Houkakyou


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